Join us to discuss climate justice at the 50th Anniversary Education Day!

Commemorating our 50th anniversary of campaigning!

At Friends of the Earth, we take our work for a just world where people and nature thrive very seriously. And now, as we celebrate half a century of campaigning this year, we’re delighted to host our 50th Anniversary Education Day event on Saturday, April 27th, in Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, Dublin.

Here, we’ll discuss embedding a global justice and systemic change framework in the climate movement, that builds international solidarity—from Ireland to Palestine, and from Moneypoint to Cerrejón. You’ll also get to hear from frontline environmental defenders from around the world!

Will you join us on this special day?

Yes, I’ll register

Our unwavering commitment to environmental and social justice stems from 50 years of campaigning, as well as working with, and learning from, community groups and grassroots campaigns. We’ve built five decades’ worth of knowledge, skills and community wisdom! During this educational event, we’ll be celebrating this by bringing together voices from Palestine, Uganda, Colombia and elsewhere, who’ll share insights on challenging fossil fuel giants and colonial powers. 

Through panel discussions, a workshop, and a film screening, we’ll delve deep into topics like how colonialism and extractivism is currently destroying communities worldwide, as well as what a sustainable economy could look like.

We’ll have an exciting lineup of speakers and panelists from across academia, the film industry, our supporter network, as well as the environmental movement, including frontline environmental defenders from around the world. Among others, this includes Abeer M. AL Butmeh, environmental activist and Friends of the Earth Palestine (PENGON) Coordinator, and award-winning film director Mattheiu Lietaert whose movie portrays the story of three women on the frontlines of fighting against colonialism and extractive industries.

Date: Saturday, April 27th 

Time: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM 

Location: Richmond Barracks, Inchicore, Dublin

This special occasion will be a culmination of insights, discussions, and reflections on the journey towards environmental justice and sustainability. We invite you to be a part of this vital conversation, where knowledge meets action, and together, we envision a more sustainable and equitable future for all. There’s still time to register!

Programme for the day

Our day begins with contributions from a variety of Irish academics and professionals working in the fields of environmental and ecological economics. We will pose the questions of: What does a sustainable economy look like for people and the planet, and how do we get there?

Speakers:

John Barry (Queen's University)

Anita Vollmer (ESRI)

Mary Murphy (Maynooth University)

Anne Ryan (Feasta)

Next, we will have an interactive workshop facilitated by past participants of Friends of the Earth’s very own Climate Change, Colonialism and Extractivism course. ‘Climate Counts’ is a game that tests what you know, or what you think you know, about the distribution of people, wealth and greenhouse gases across our planet. 

Together, we’ll explore the facts around these issues and create a space to unpick some of the perspectives around the drivers of inequality and climate change.

Lunch 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM

We will break for lunch thereafter, supplied by Foodcloud, a non-profit social enterprise that aims to lower food waste and increase sustainability. Or you can take a walk around the eco-gardens in the barracks.

After lunch, we will watch a screening of the film ‘The Illusion of Abundance’, a story of three women on the frontlines of fighting against colonialism and extractive industries obsessed with economic growth in Mexico, Brazil, and Honduras. Bertha, Carolina and Maxima tell us a story of tireless courage—how to keep fighting to protect nature when your life is at risk? When police repression, corporate harassment, injuries or even death threats are part of your daily routine?

We will be joined by director Mattheiu Lietaert for a Q&A after the screening.

Finally, we will be hosting an online international panel with speakers from across the world talking about their work challenging fossil fuel giants and colonial powers. Finishing the event with a call for global solidarity, we will meet environmental defenders who are part of the Friends of the Earth International network. They've done inspiring work—from taking French oil giants to court in Uganda, to opposing the mine that produces the coal that we burn in Moneypoint in Ireland, to organising to protect land and biodiversity in Palestine as that land is being actively seized by Israeli aggression. Please note that the panelists for this session will be joining us online. 

Speakers:

Maxwell Atuhura (TASHA)

Abeer M. AL Butmeh (PENGON/Friends of the Earth Palestine)

Paula Portela (CENSAT/Friends of the Earth Colombia)

 

This event has been funded by Irish Aid through Friends of the Earth’s GCE project and co-funded by Community Foundation Ireland. We are deeply grateful for the support of our funders and also that of our speakers, facilitators and contributors. The views expressed in this event are those of the organisers and do not necessarily reflect those of our funders.